The Ministry of Internal Affairs, Local Government and Rural Development, has launched the 2008 Local Councils performance assessment results at a ceremony at the Conference Room of the Ministry in Freetown.

 

The Decentralisation Secretariat which is an arm of the Ministry carries out a periodic assessment of the performance of Local Councils based on their ability to meet certain minimum conditions.

 

Kono District Chairman, John Yambasu (L) receives his council's certificate for ranking highest in the performance measures

The process known as Comprehensive Local Government Performance Assessment System or CLoGPAS, was first carried out in 2006 when Kono District Council got the highest rating in terms of performance.

CLoGPAS ensures routine monitoring of local council performance and provides evidence-based information on councils’ functional capacities for improved local level service delivery.

The launching of the 2008 CLoGPAS results was a symbolic exercise which will later be followed by a debriefing session with a broader council representation. The ceremony was presided over by the Minister of Internal Affairs, Local Government and Rural Development, Dauda Kamara, and his two Deputies, Hadiru Karlokoh and Raymond Kabia.

CLoGPAS focuses on councils’ capacity to draw up development plans and to do proper budgeting and accounting. It also focuses on councils’ capacity to do effective human resource management, as well as its capacity to ensure transparency and accountability in its transactions.

The assessment exercise for 2008 was carried out by special teams comprising staff from the Institutional Reform and Capacity Building Project and civil society representatives.

Local council executives at the launch ceremony

 

The results of the assessment saw Kono District Council emerging as the best performer in all the areas of assessment for the second time, followed by Bo City Council and Koinadugu District Council.

The Monitoring and Evaluation Manager of the Decentralisation Secretariat, Sheik  Rogers gave an overview of the CLoGPAS process during the ceremony, while Deputy Minister, Raymond Kabia and the Director of the Decentralisation Secretariat, Alhassan Kanu, presented certificates to the Chairmen of the various councils.

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